What are the symptoms of whipworm?

What are the symptoms of whipworm?

What Are the Symptoms of a Whipworm Infection?

• bloody diarrhea.
• painful or frequent defecation.
• abdominal pain.
• nausea.
• vomiting.
• headaches.
• sudden and unexpected weight loss.
• fecal incontinence, or the inability to control defecation.

What causes whipworm infection?

Whipworm infection is caused by ingesting eggs. This can happen when hands or fingers that have contaminated dirt on them are put in the mouth or by consuming vegetables or fruits that have not been carefully cooked, washed or peeled. People infected with whipworm can suffer light or heavy infections.

Can whipworms be passed to humans?

Humans can get whipworms by ingesting soil or water contaminated by the feces of infected animals or people. Most cases in humans do not show symptoms of illness. Heavy infections can cause gastrointestinal signs, especially in children.

How long does whipworm infection last?

Whipworm infections are generally treated for 1–3 days with medication prescribed by your health care provider. The drugs are effective and appear to have few side effects.

Are whipworms visible in stool?

What Do Whipworms Look Like? Adult whipworms, although seldom seen in the stool, look like tiny pieces of thread, with one end enlarged.

Where is whipworm found?

Whipworm is found throughout the world, especially in countries with warm, humid climates. Some outbreaks have been traced to contaminated vegetables (secondary to soil contamination).

How do humans prevent from getting infected by whipworms?

The best way to prevent whipworm infection is to always: Avoid ingesting soil that may be contaminated with human feces, including where human fecal matter (“night soil”) or wastewater is used to fertilize crops. Wash your hands with soap and warm water before handling food.

Can you see whipworms in poop?

Whipworms are diagnosed by finding eggs on microscopic examination of the stool. These eggs, however, are difficult to find. Whipworms pass small numbers of eggs on an inconsistent basis, therefore some samples may be falsely negative. Multiple stool samples are often required to diagnose whipworms.

What color is a whipworm?

Trichuris trichiura is typically 54 mm x 22 mm long, but sizes of the whipworm range from 49-65 mm x 20-29 mm. It is elongated, and barrel-shaped with a polar “plug” at each end. Its color varies from yellow to brown and the “plugs” are colorless.